Forlorn Children
by Poetoffire
Summary: This is the story of the common raven that Drosselmeyer gave humanity to, only to take it away.  With the right powers and practice, you can teach a bird to read, to write, to study philosophy.  But the final trick is teaching it to hate.
1. Three months after

Hola. Here's an experimental fic that I've been sitting on. I have a few chapters written, and may or may not continue. It's a pre-story fic with a younger (likely mid-twenties) Drosselmeyer that focuses on the creation of the Raven. The beginning might be a little confusing but stick with me.

Warnings: These will be updated per chapter. For now let's just say there's going to be a lot of psychological abuse.

Disclaimer: You don't want me to own Princess Tutu.

* * *

**Three months after**

_Write: a b c_

a b c

_ABC_

a b c

_A_

A

_B_

B

_C_

C

_My name is ._

M

y

nane

_Name_

Name

_name_

My name

_is_

My name is

_Claus._

My name is Claus.

_Do you understand?_

_Do you understand?_

My name is Claus.

_Yes you understand, no you do not understand._

_Answer._

_Do you understand?_

Yes

_Good._

Yes

_Enough of that. Copy this part of the book I am holding out to you. See; I am pointing._

See I am pointing

_No!_

Do you understand?

_Infernal mockingbird. THIS PART._

Yes

_Go on._

Some say that ravens foster forlorn children, The whilst their own birds famish in their nests: O, be to me, though thy hard heart say no, Nothing so kind, but something pitiful!

_Good. Do you understand?_

No

_What is your name?_

My

name

is

Claus

_You serve me._

I serve you

_I am your master._

What is your name?

_Your name is Claus._

My name is Claus. What is your name?

_You're asking me?_

Yes

_My name is Herr von Drosselmeyer. I am your master._

You are my master. I serve you.

_Who are you?_

Claus

_Who are you in your heart?_

No

No understand

"_I do not understand."_

" "

_That means I want you to say that. That is a quote._

I do not understand.

_Do you understand quotes?_

Yes

_But you do not understand who you are._

Yes. I do not understand.

_Would you like for me to make you understand?_

_I will not ask again._

Yes

_Your name is Claus. I saved your life._

My hurts

_Your what hurts?_

show you

_That is your wing._

wing

My wing hurts

_That is because it is broken. Hurt. I saved you. You would have died._

I do not understand.

_Here, let me show you._

_See this paper?_

Yes

_Do you know what fire is?_

No

_Look._

bad bad bad bad

hurts

get away

_Yes, fire hurts if you get too close._

bad bad bad

_I will not hurt you with it._

bad hurts no

_STOP!_

_I was showing you the fire for a reason. Look. Paper and fire._

_It burned up, see?_

gone

eaten

_Yes. That is death. Death is gone, eaten. You would have been eaten by the other birds._

hurts

_And now we are regressing. Lord._

get away

_It does not matter. I saved you. Do you understand why?_

Why

_Why I saved you. My reason._

No

_You are a bird._

bird

_Like this picture, see? A raven. Here, a mirror._

What is his name?

_Claus._

My name is Claus.

_Yes. He is you._

Me?

_Reflection._

Claus.

_You._

Bird

raven

_You are a smart thing._

Smart means

_Intelligent. Able to understand._

Yes

I am smart?

_Yes. Here, copy this again._

_That was an order. Say, "Yes, Master."_

Yes, Master.

_Now copy it._

Some say that ravens foster forlorn children,

The whilst their own birds famish in their nests:

O, be to me, though thy hard heart say no,

Nothing so kind, but something pitiful!

_You are a raven, right?_

I understand.

_That means you are the child of a raven._

Child?

_Ravens brought you into the world._

World?

_Perhaps you are not ready for that._

Yes

_You are a raven, but inside, in here…_

Thump place

_Heart._

Thump place no touch

_Heart. In your heart, you are a human._

h u m a n

_Like me._

Master

_In your "thump place", you look like Master._

thump place

_No, I was quoting you. Writing what you wrote._

Yes

_You are raised a raven, but inside, you are a human. And that is why I saved you._

Cold wing hurts hurts

other ravens

_Other ravens were attacking you._

hurts

_But not anymore, right?_

Yes

Master saved me

_Good._

My name is Claus. You are my master. I serve you. Master saved me. I am human inside.

_Yes. You understand._

I am smart.

_Indeed._


	2. Five months after

Thanks for the reviews! I know it's kinda weird.

Warnings: Talk about the fiery pit, which obviously will upset people who click on a story with the idea of teaching a creation to hate in the summary. Oh god, they said hell! Augh!

* * *

**Five months after**

_Hello, Claus._

Hello, Master.

Time for lessons?

_Yes.  
_

page 53

_Write only full sentences, now._

We were on page 53.

_Good._

hungry

_Claus!_

Sorry, Master. I am hungry.

_I know. After lessons, we will eat._

Good. It satisfies…him.

_Who?_

Sorry, Master.

_Do not be sorry. Who does it satisfy?_

It is not important.

_Explain, Claus._

Sorry, Master. Yes. If you wish.

_Explain._

Sometimes, when I am hungry or scared, I feel my

_Your?_

My humanity. Slip.

_Let us look at some early papers, Claus._

You keep them because I am important to you.

_Good. Yes. Here._

I was scared. Of the fire.

_I know._

I am a human in my heart. But fire hurts you.

_Were you burned when I found you?_

No. My wing hurt.

_Then what was your experience with fire?_

Small tree. I do not understand why I wanted. Hungry. It was on fire. It hurt my feet.

_Small tree? Bush?_

Bush.

_What did you want with a bush?_

hungry

_REGRESSING._

Sorry, Master. I am sorry, Master. I am a human inside. I have a raven body and a human heart. I am a simple, ugly thing.

_You are a miracle._

I am a miracle, you saved me.

_Keep fighting, Claus._

I want a human body like yours.

_You have said so, many times._

I ask for too much.

_Yes._

I write on paper with your quills. You let me write. You talk to me through writing. You are good, Master. You saved me. But I wish I had a human body.

_Claus, you are the miracle._

Thank you.

_When I find out how to give you a human body, I will._

Can I

_Yes?_

Can I help you, Master?

_There are things you still must learn._

Yes.

Lessons.

_What page were we on, again?_

53.

_Excellent. Read until the end of the page._

Reading.

_Are you finished?_

One second.

Yes.

_What is your opinion of the page?_

It is lying. The mind and the soul and the body make a human. Without the soul, you are a monster.

_Where are you drawing this opinion from?_

Ravens have no souls.

_Come now, Claus, of course n_

Ravens are scavengers. Humans write and care and save each other. I would be dead if I was just a raven.

I would go to hell.

_You have been reading the Bible too much._

Those without souls go to hell.

_Not everything you read is true._

I have seen other birds, animals die. They die in pain. Humans die with curled faces.

_Smiles._

Smile for me.

_I do not…_

Please, Master?

Yes, that is a smile.

_Most humans do not die smiling, you know._

But the ones

_They are exceptions._

If I was human, I would smile always.

_You believe in hell, though?_

I have seen it.

_Really._

Yes! It is brown and smells like dirt and blood. It is dying without flight. It screams.

_You remember all this?_

Like a picture.

_Why? Why this?_

Right before Master found me. I saw hell.

_Humans believe hell is fire and eternal pain._

Fire is scary. But fire only blackens. Hell dies. Fire is not like hell.

Hell is tiny.

_You are not making sense._

I saw hell. I swear.

_You said you were hungry before. It is your savage nature, again._

My humanity slowing.

_Yes. Ravens know no logic. Humans think things through. They know hell cannot be that. "I am wrong."_

I am wrong.

_Good. Here, something to eat._

Is good!

_I put something extra in it._

Is thick!

_I thought you would like it._

more

_STOP._

I am sorry Master I did not mean to it is very good and thick I cannot help it I want a new body but before

before

_We will discuss this later. I have a visitor. Go to your roost._

Ye

_Do not write it. Quickly! Take the paper._

Hello Master. I am writing while you visit with the visitor. When you stop visiting, I will show this to you, and you will like it because I am writing very well. I am writing because it is not interesting and the food is on the counter. I am not very hungry but a little. The food is good. Thank you. You are a good Master. You saved me.

My name is Claus. You are my master, and I serve you because you saved me. I am a human inside, within my heart. But for now, I look like a raven, which is why I cannot visit with the visitor.

When I am ready, I want to go outside again. All the other ravens have no souls and they are vicious, but I am better fed and I am smarter because I am a miracle. I do not think I am in any danger, though you worry for me.

I want to see the town you write of. And the people. I want to visit them in their beds and watch them lay down smiling.

I also want to hunt. My food is good, but I wish I had meat. Will meat cause me to regress? You do not have to answer, but I am curious. I do not like regressing. I want to be able to fly around the sky again, but look down and know what is happening and thank the Lord and you for it.

You are talking for a long time, Master. She is one of your ladies. I like her. She looks like the picture you showed me with the deer-man and the bathing women and the moon.

I am a deer-man, only I am raven. A goddess changed me. But I am your miracle and you will change me back.

Here, Master.

_This is the most you have ever written, Claus._

I was waiting for you.

_She does look like Artemis._

Artemis.

_Who is?_

Goddess of

hunt.

_Good._

You are speaking, Master.

_Can you hear me?_

Your mouth—caw place—

_Yes?_

It moves. Speaking.

_Yes. But you cannot understand._

I…my…

Get the mirror.

_"Please."_

Please get the mirror.

_Here._

My…

_Do not hurt yourself!_

I am sorry, I was just showing

_Yes, yes. That's your ear. Mine is right here, see?_

Yours has a flap.

_Clever bird. So, what about your ear?_

Hurts.

_"It hurts."_

It hurts.

I am not regressing.

_You are half deaf. That is why you hit the tree. That is why you needed saving._

And I cannot talk like you and Artemis can.

_No, not in this body. When you are human, I will give you ears that hear, and you may walk around town and talk to all the people._

I wish for that very much.

_Finish your dinner. I will be writing._

To whom?

_I will write a story. Like those I read you._

Story is not true words.

_Yes._

Everything I read that you do not write on the paper is a story. There is no hell. Bible is a story. Artemis is a story. Shakespeare is a story.

_Yes._

Paper is full of lies.

_Stories are not lies._

Not true is lies.

_Stories are truths without context._

I do not understand.

_You would never. I will teach you, later. Just eat and let me write. Do not interrupt._

Yes.


	3. Six months after

**Six months after**

Reality is a flimsy thing, and individual consciousness defines more than deception. I believe that the world is framed by how you view it instead of how it exists, so

Hello.

One of my ears does not hear. I cannot understand you. If you want to talk to me, put it on the paper.

**Are you writing?  
**

Yes.

**Herr never told me**

Wait I must goodbye Master will be back and he will not like

**Are you copying?**

No.

**You can understand me?**

Yes. I read and write German and I am learning to write in Latin and English.

**I saw a bird that could write his name once with a caravan  
**

**You could be a spectacle  
**

**Why doesn't Herr  
**

This is not good. I should not be conversing with you. I am not human yet.

**Human?**

I should not have written that ignore it

**You are a smart thing**

Put the paper down I cannot talk to you anymore

**Just like magic!  
**

STOP

**Why are you so skinny for a bird?  
**

I am not a bird

I

Master feeds me every day.

**If you write out my name, I will get you some candy, okay?**

No. Master is coming back soon.

**My name is Kyler  
**

**You can copy that, right?  
**

Of course I can. Kyler. Kyler Kyler Kyler Artemis leave me.

**What?  
**

Leave me.

**I can bring you candy if**

I swear to the Lord I will start cawing if you do not put the paper down and close the door to my roost.

**A bird's blackmailing me?**

GO.

**This is adorable!  
**

Master

**His name is Herr von Drosselmeyer.  
**

I know that.

**When I visit him again, I can bring candy  
**

Damn the candy, just never talk of this

**You swore! If birds had human tongues, would all of them swear?  
**

I am not some plaything. I am a human trapped in the body of a raven. I feel like you do, and I am probably infinitely more intelligent than you are. I am not some caravan trick. If word of this conversation gets to my Master he will hate me. Now show some respect for my feelings and LEAVE.

**I never realized**

**sorry.**

Tell no one of this.

And if you want, I do not eat candy. Meat will do. Do not mention it to Master.

**I see.  
**

* * *

_Hello, Claus.  
_

Hello, Master.

_Are you hungry?_

Yes.

_Still think she looks like Artemis?  
_

She talked to me. Her name is Kyler.

_She knows_

Do not be angry. She will not tell. I tried to keep her from it, but she saw me writing

_Do you realize_

Yes. Yes, and I am sorry.

_If you so much as look at her again I will_

No, I will not look at her, I am sorry. So sorry.

_Good. What did she say to you?  
_

My intelligence amused her. She treated me like an animal.

_S__he treats the world like an animal. I amuse her, as well._

You are lucky.

_What? To be human, as you always tell me?  
_

To have her.

_Claus, you are a raven. You cannot possibly entertain the idea  
_

She treats you like a person, even if she treats people like animals.

_Ahhh. Yes, that._

She calls you Herr.

_I never saved her life.  
_

Someday, when I am human, I will repay you.

_With what, dearest Claus?  
_

I do not know. But I will repay you. I can

I can be your knight. Arthurian knight. I will stand by your side and protect you.

_Well._

Master

Master why are you laughing?

Master is that not enough for you?

_No, no, it is…it is such a heroic statement, for someone like you._

You are too good to me. I should have died. Instead, I will finally be human.

_I am too good for you, with you chattering to Artemis._

Not anymore. I swear.

_Is the food good?  
_

Always.

_You hesitated a bit before writing that.  
_

Yes.

I was thinking, comparing the food to

_She wanted to get you candy._

No, what are you talking about?

_You lied to me.  
_

No.

_Lied. Ripped up the evidence. It is in scraps, on the floor of your roost._

No.

_If you intended to tell me you talked with her, why did you destroy the paper?  
_

Master, I was only scared

_Ungrateful_

Never, no, no

_You will not lie to me again. You will not talk to her again._

I will not!

_Go._

It is cold and the other ravens

_Go outside. Sleep in the streets. I am trying to make you into a human, and you persist in being wild. Go._

_Come back in the morning.  
_

* * *

_Pitiful.  
_

Yes.

_You waited all night outside my door.  
_

I did I am sorry

_Where did that limp come from?  
_

_The other ravens?_

Yes.

_Explain._

I tried to roost with them. I smell like human. I act like a human. My hearing is bad and I fly funny. They see me as weak and attack me.

Before I do not know why they attacked

but now it is to kill and eat me.

_Unbelievable. You cannot even survive in the wild anymore._

Before, I could. But I have eaten people food, and though it is thick it is not fresh.

What is it?

_What?_

In my readings, people eat many different things, and there are pictures and descriptions. But none describe it.

_Well, you are not a person. And therefore, until your body matches your mind, I must give you this so you can grow strong._

I feel weak.

_That is because you have not been flying and are growing tame. The savage are strong, they say._

It is strange.

_What?_

The way I feel.

_That is expected._

I owe it to myself and you to be completely obedient.

_Finally, reason. That is what makes us human, Claus. We can reason._

Being human is many things.

_Many things you will master, all in good time._

I was scared last night. I thought you would not let me in.

_A temporary punishment is not abandonment._

You hold my soul in your hands. Give it a body.

_I am. Just follow along in lessons and eat what I give you._

Not everyone will act like Artemis. They will think you have contact with the devil.

_True._

As soon as you can…

_You do not even have to ask._

Thank you, Master.

I

love

you.

_Feeling sentimental today, are we?  
_

I am not a devil. I am a wretch, and you are an angel.

_Give a raven a Bible and suddenly he becomes a Christian._

Do not punish me again. I will not do anything against you.

_Good._

_Tonight, a man will visit us. He is from a neighboring town._

Is he a bad man?

_He is the person Artemis trusts most in the world._

You are afraid.

_In your glorification of my saving you, you have forgotten I am human as well._

It does not matter. I love you.

_Do not write that again. It is unnecessary; I know. You told me once, that is enough._

_But, anyway. The man. He and I are in the midst of a business deal. A secret one, one that no one knows about but us._

Maybe Artemis…?

_And maybe Artemis. He is cheating me. Artemis will tell him. So he will come over tonight, and we will talk._

Yes, yes.

_This time, we will follow him back to his house._

_We will lay him in bed. You will perch on my shoulder, and watch for traps and other people. My knight. My raven. I am your Odin, that is a better comparison._

Thank you, master. I will enjoy seeing his smile.


End file.
